GUILDERLAND — The Guilderland boys’ basketball team has to make adjustments on the fly and was able to make just enough of them on Tuesday night.

The Dutchmen — missing one of their top players — held off a pesky Ballston Spa team by a score of 65-62 at Guilderland High School.
"They shot the ball unbelievably," said Guilderland Coach Ron Osinski after the game. "There was no stop for that. We kept the ball outside, which I’m happy with, but they made the shots and that is what kept it close."

Guilderland controlled the game from the outset. The Dutchmen led, 19-10, at the end of the first quarter and 38-27 at halftime.

The Scotties fought back in the third quarter, outscoring the Dutch by five points, 18-13, and cutting into the lead.

The score at the end of the third frame was 51-45.

Hot fourth

The fourth quarter was much more hotly contested.

Jimmy Munsie gave the Dutch an eight-point lead on an inside basket. But Ballston Spa’s Domninic Monaco made a three-point basket to keep his team close.

The teams traded three-point baskets: Guilderland’s Dan Gejay made a shot behind the arc and Ballston Spa’s Jakob Davis made a basket off a rebound and a foul shot.

Steve Doak scored an inside basket for the Dutchmen but that was quickly answered on a three-point basket by the Scotties. The basket made the Dutch’s lead four points, 58-54, with just over five minutes left.

The teams failed to score for the next minute-and-a-half before Guilderland’s Brett Marfurt scored on an inside basket. But Ballston Spa continued to keep the game close on a floater in the lane by Chris Schaefer.

Marfurt answered with a lay-up only to be matched by two free throws by Monaco. The margin remained four points with just over two minutes to go.

Schaefer cut the lead to two with a jump shot with 21 seconds left in the game. But Munsie hit the two biggest free throws of his varsity career to give the Dutch a four-point lead with 12 seconds left, which basically sealed the win.

Marfurt added a free throw with four seconds left but Ballston Spa hit a three-pointer with one second left to make up the final margin.
"Late in the game, we hit some shots that kept us ahead," Osinski said. "We got some good play off the bench. Dan Gejay played well and Jimmy Munsie had like 12 or 13 points in really his first big action because he’s been injured."

Marfurt led the way for the Dutchmen with 29 points. Munsie added 13 and Steven Doak chipped in with 11.

"Good game effort"
"Brett had a good night," Osinski said. "He missed a couple of assignments, but he was good. Taylor Walden and Mark Domaracki, we need to get more out of them. We need to get some points out of them to help Brett.
"Mark had been playing good basketball in the three scrimmages and two games. But he’d be the first one to tell you that this was his worst of the six games. He’ll come back on Friday and have a good game."

The Dutchmen were missing starter Drew Smith. Smith is out with a broken hand and won’t be back for a few weeks.
"This was our first game without Drew," Osinski said. "I guess it shows that Drew does a lot for us, especially in the open court on offense and defense."

It wasn’t a lack of effort that kept the game close.
"We had a good game effort," Osinski said. "Guys were down on the basketball and getting on the floor. You can’t ask for anything more. We just have to play a little better basketball. Get a little better at that end."

Osinski said that Ballston Spa was a different team than when he scouted them.
"I saw them play Tamarac and Watervliet," the coach said. "And they’ve gotten better. I don’t know if we did. We lost a player, a starter, for a few more weeks. But we have to play the games. Good teams have to make up for that and other guys have to play up a notch. And to be a good team we have to do that."

Next up for the Dutchmen will be a home contest against Mohonasen on Friday. Then, on Tuesday, the Dutch travel to take on Colonie.